Kenneth Arnold Perry
Chief Petty Officer
HMCS Prince Henry & HMCS Athabaskan
The Aleutians
Frigid artic temperatures reinforced by bitter winds made sailing through the Northern Pacific exceedingly unpleasant, hypothermia and frost bite being a constant danger (1). Enduring these conditions aboard the HMCS Prince Henry, a once luxury liner, were the silhouettes of the freezing sailors who maintained watch as best they could over their group of transport vessels. The protection of these unarmed ships falling on the humble cruiser, which guided them from Kodiak to Port Dutch in the Aleutians chain (1). Among the frigid figures was youthful Kenneth Perry, a Vancouver native being exposed to his first real deployment since enlisting in 1938 at 18 years old. Working in the base warehouse or as a lifeguard were seemingly a world away from the perilous missions they undertook under the watch of hostile Japanese vessels, which the blue-eyed sailor feared lay just out of sight.
Through the often-thick fog and heavy winds, the HMCS Prince Henry herded troop and supply filled ships to the very fringes of Alaska during the fall of 1942 (1). The remote and relatively undisturbed Aleutian islands being overrun with soldiers assigned to drive out the recently arrived Japanese occupiers. Convoy duty seemed a humble task to Kenneth, but one immensely important to the success of the campaign in the Pacific. Once returned to the familiar shores of Vancouver, he transferred to various stations across the country, even serving for a brief time in the Atlantic aboard the HMCS Iroquois. This real destroyer flaunting armaments more powerful than that of the converted cruiser he had previously served aboard.
Postwar opportunity pulled the seasoned sailor from the navy in 1946, pursuing a job at a local plastics company which promised rapid promotion. Yet the postwar slump and undesirable wages left Kenneth in a poor position to provide for his beloved wife Wanda and children. Not to mention his senior Welsh father and Canadian mother who remained alive and well. It was with reluctance that he had originally left the navy and in the hopes of securing a better wage, he chose to rejoin in 1947. The heavy-set sailor returning to the familiar facilities at Coquitlam. |
Canadian Destroyers in Korea
Dreams of spending port leave in Europe were quickly forgotten as the sailors of the HMCS Athabaskan were thrown into a rush of excitement preparing to depart for Korea upon the command of Parliament (2). The destroyer was hastily prepared, sailing for Pearl Habor with two of its sister ships in July of 1950 (2). The small Canadian contingent cruising into Sasebo Harbor, officially joining the UN force being scraped together in Japan (2). Within 24 hours of arrival, the HMCS Athabaskan was assigned to escort a US troop ship from Japan to Pusan, helping ensure much needed reinforcements made it to the besieged area (2). It was the first of several such duties, though it was nothing new to Petty Officer Perry, his experiences supporting convoys in the Second World War proving akin to their initial posting. Yet their reassignment to the west coast blockade force provided an altogether foreign experience to even the veterans aboard.
Battered and uninspired, the spirits of the besieged South Korean navy were quickly lifted on the west coast with the arrival of the HMCS Athabaskan, its crew providing much needed help and support in terms of repairs and firepower to the small fleet (2). Supplied with intel from their new friends in the ROK (Republic of Korea), the destroyer’s crew began bringing its guns to bear upon the overconfident and exposed North Korean forces, bombarding their military HQ in the town of Popsong’po (2). From there the sleek vessel redeployed to the Incheon Area, assisting ROK forces in naval invasions and suppressing North Korean positions on several islands (2). During the marine assault on the Taku Chaku beaches, the ship’s crew fired off some 94 rounds of high explosive (2). 32 men of the Athabaskan taking the fight directly to the enemy by joining in the naval landings (2). The 4-inch main guns and the bofors anti-aircraft batteries proving most effective at chewing up bunkers and troop warehouses (2). Though Kenneth and crew spent much time wreaking havoc on the positions of North Korean soldiers, they also provided assistance to refugees and even captured some infamous enemy junk ships, a swath of excitement for the crew as they bounded from island to island (2).
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The need of additional vessels for the Incheon landing force resulted in the Athabaskan being called away from their island hoping tour, the lads most proud to be picked as Canada’s contribution to the major effort (2). Though it proved rather unexciting, the ship patrolling for mines and conducting escort duty mostly (2). Despite the rather uneventful experience, it was a memorable moment, the successful invasion seeming to mark the conclusion of the Korean intervention for the crew. With the end in sight, the HMCS Athabaskan was pulled away to Hong Kong with a number of other vessels (2). The journey there proving more frightening than most their combat experiences, Kenneth being violently tossed around the destroyer as waves crashed on it’s side (2). The power of the monsoon proved immense, a man being washed overboard, though they managed to rescue him shortly after (2). Slightly damaged but still floating, the ship limped into the ancient trade capital of the British Empire, only to return to Korea not long after due to the Chinese intervention in the conflict (2).
Masses of communist soldiers poured over the border, overwhelming UN forces in Korea, the crew of the HMCS Athabaskan anchoring off the coast, providing what support they could despite the limited range of their guns (2). Tragically, they would be forced to watch as the port of Incheon was abandoned, helping to guard the vulnerable evacuation fleet (2). The site of desperation and the deplorable conditions experienced by the many infantrymen and refugees were painful to witness and left an impression on the entirety of the crew (2). From thereon out the HMCS Athabaskan returned to regular duties, assigned at one point to provide screening for aircraft carriers, which had their planes flying missions in the interior of the country as the war raged on (2). It was with honor and a lengthy service record that the ship finally turned homeward in May 1951, Kenneth returning to the quieter waters off British Columbia and to his beloved family (2).
Sources:
(1) Aleutians, The Second World War, Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/battle-honours-honorary-distinctions/aleutians.html
(2) Russell, E.C., Thorgrimsson, Thor, Canadian Naval Operations In Korean Waters 1950-1955,https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/official/book-1965-korea-navy-en.pdf
(1) Aleutians, The Second World War, Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/battle-honours-honorary-distinctions/aleutians.html
(2) Russell, E.C., Thorgrimsson, Thor, Canadian Naval Operations In Korean Waters 1950-1955,https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/official/book-1965-korea-navy-en.pdf